How President Obama Can Deflect Tough TV Interview Questions comes down to fundamental principles.  That’s according to corporate communications expert Bob Kaplitz.  He’s consulted political parties and executives on how to deflect tough questions while getting your message across.

As you watch this pre-Super Bowl interview with President Obama, look for these examples of how to deal with tough questions.  Okay, you’re not a President having to defend yourself from a host of allegations, but you can learn a lot from Obama.

• Use words like “We” rather than “I” to minimize responsibility for a problem — like the roll out of the Affordable Healthcare website.
• Avoid answering questions you don’t want to answer — like why you didn’t fire the person responsible for the website debacle.  At least, the first time you’re asked the question.
• Reframe questions in your answers, so you’re answering the safer question, not getting pinned down.
• Use your own words to minimize what others may call a catastrophe.  For example, even if the website is shutdown, talk about “glitches.”
• Look toward the future rather than allowing the interviewer to hold you or others reporting to you responsible.
• When the interviewer tries to pin you down, say, “I’m trying to answer your question, so let me finish.”
• Question the motives of the interviewer or their network or publication, taking the focus off the tough questions, making it appear the media is out to get you.
• Use humor.  Obama used humor when O’Reilly asked whether his broken keep-your-plan promise was his biggest mistake — “Bill, you’ve got a long list of my mistakes” — and finally punted with a football analogy: “I try to focus not on fumbles but on the next play.”
• Insist on live, relatively short interviews so you can lengthen your answers, allowing less time for tough questions and more time to get your message across.

How President Obama Can Deflect Tough TV Interview Questions represents an opportunity to identify techniques.  As a consultant who speaks on leadership, Kaplitz says it’s best not only to have integrity but also to demonstrate it through transparency.  For example, “You’re right about Susan Rice’s comments.  We put her in a bad situation, misrepresenting what really happened.  I made a mistake by listening to my political consultants.”  Just to be sure, Obama admitted nothing of the sort.  But imagine the impact of anybody delivering that type of candor.

The more criticism of a president for stonewalling or covering up, the harder it is for President Obama or any person to come out ahead.  And if you’re defending yourself from multiple alleged scandals — from the health insurance website to IRS to the murders of diplomats in Benghazi — it’s especially difficult.

Hopefully you don’t have to defend yourself from a series of alleged scandals.  But if you’re concerned about dealing with the media on issues making you or your company look bad, contact Bob Kaplitz at 214.766.4236.  He’s successfully coached political parties and corporate executives over more than three decades.  He’s been honored as Best TV Investigative Reporter in the U.S. and Canada in his heyday as a reporter.  Kaplitz will walk you through the toughest questions reporters can hit you with, so you’ll be prepared to answer them in the best way possible.

Remember, President Obama has years of experience answering the tough questions.  How President Obama Can Deflect Tough TV Interview Questions is a result of his experience.

He’s fine tuned his skills.  Plus he has tremendous charisma and a political philosophy many people support.  But Kaplitz advises, “You likely don’t have those benefits, so get professional coaching to be prepared.”

Note to Readers:  President Obama and O’Reilly are polarizing public figures.  It’s hard for many people to look at how to manage tough interview questions without jumping to conclusions.  For example:

1. Automatically assuming O’Reilly is out to get Obama or…
2. Obama is covering up actual scandals that cost American diplomats their lives and many Americans their healthcare doctors and insurance policies.

Try to set your opinions aside and look at the considerable skills of each of them:  O’Reilly trying to nail down important facts.  Obama trying to defend himself while getting his message across, with an eye toward the mid-term elections.

To learn more about managing media interviews, check out:  http://kaplitz.tv/?p=3241 

Also, learn more about political persuasion:  http://kaplitz.tv/?p=3218